Chell's Passing
by prophetofgreed
Summary: After Chell's release from Aperture, she got sick from her exposure to the toxic gells. This is how she died. A short one-shot.


**Just a one-shot I thought up from one of the best games I've ever played!  
>But you all probably already know that...<strong>

**Anyways, I hope you like the story!**

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><p><span>Chell's Passing<span>

The night at the hospital was the same as every night for Dr. Ryan Strome. Older men and woman were admitted for the sudden turn for the worse on their conditions. Car crash victims were quickly treated and if need be taken to surgery. Machine's continued to beep in sync with the patient's heart.

But alone in one of the hospital's many rooms was a young woman having trouble breathing, hacking uncontrollably to clear her throat. Bags were under her eyes, her mouth skeleton like from malnutrition and lack of sleep. Her black hair seemed frail and messy from lack of attention. Even with IV coursing through her veins didn't seem to quench her thirst.

Dr. Strome walked slowly towards the room not liking the coming conversion. The results of the latest test on the young woman showed that her body's exposure to whatever chemicals she had been in contact with was slowly taking down most of her bodily functions. It was now estimated that she would only last for another month.

It was sad to see the young lady named Chell to be in such a condition. She had first gathered her symptoms just a year ago. That was when Dr. Strome had first met her, in the emergency room, where the young lady complained of a pain in her throat and constant stomach aches.

Chell had such a strong spirit then, it seemed like she could go through anything and survive. Her shy and stubborn personality made her more interesting than the average patient.

At first Dr. Strome had thought it was just a simple sickness that would pass in a few days. But when Chell returned two weeks later worse than before, it was then he took special interest in her condition.

He ordered Chell to return two weeks later for a check up to see if the medication was working. She was so stubborn of the order, instead of coming in two weeks she came a month later.

It was like a part of her to deviate from his orders. To do what she had wanted. To do what was best for herself.

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><p>Dr. Strome felt like he had lead in his feet as he stood outside of the room, trying to gather up the courage to step through the door. He had done this multiple times unfortunately, but this time was different than all the others.<p>

'You've got to do this!' he thought determined.

He opened the door and slowly closed it behind him. The room was dark except for the moonlight shining through the windows. Chell wheezed in her oxygen mask as she stared out to the moon, looking at the serene light of the space rock.

Dr. Strome cleared his throat to announce his arrival. Chell just slowly turned her head towards the doctor looking at him without gloomy eyes, wordlessly giving him a greeting.

"So, we got the results from your test." Dr. Strome said slowly.

He looked towards Chell, who just nodded.

"Well it seems as though the chemicals you described have done too much damage to multiple organs, meaning we can't do a transplant. And looking at the slow deterioration of the organs in the past year-" Dr. Strome paused as he looked up from his notes towards Chell.

The woman just looked at the doctor misty eyed, ready for anything more the doctor would say. The look she gave him just reminded him of a sick kitten.

"I don't how to say this, but it looks like you have only one month to live. Two at the most."

There was a deafen silence. Even if he has experience in this sort of thing. It was this part that was the worst. When the patient would have to process what he had just said, and start to argue, or maybe cry.

But Chell's response was different, instead of being sad or angry; she just looked down at her hands trying to keep herself from looking weaker in her frail state. Slowly the realization sinked in and her hands started to tremble; her blinking became rapid as she tried to stop the upcoming tears.

She didn't act like most, but she did shake as she thought of the uncertain future ahead.

Dr. Strome didn't say anything, and wordlessly walked towards the door. He opened the door and just as he was leaving he heard a croaking noise behind him.

He turned and saw Chell looked at him red eyed, tears rolling down her cheek. "Thank you for everything, Ryan."

He nodded solemnly towards her. "I'll see you tomorrow for a check-up."

He then stepped through the door, closing it behind him. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves and continued with his nightly routine.

It seemed that he was right about Chell. Even in her frail state she seemed to be as stubborn as ever to live and died two months after telling her the news.

She tried to make the most out of the last two months however, trying to do the most that she could before her death.

It turned out that she was a drifter through the world, having no known family relatives, but she did have some friends from her work as a mechanical engineer.

They put together a memorial service for her, trying to do the most that they could with the small amount of money she had left for a grave and self proclaimed memorial.

Dr. Strome came by the cemetery for the memorial, visiting the people that knew Chell.

He stepped up to the tombstone and laid down the flowers he had gotten for the occasion. He placed them neatly before a large wreath placed at the stone head. He looked at the wreath and found that a card was attached.

He took the card and opened it up reading the message inside.

_Dear Chell,_

_Thank you for taking my advice and keeping away from Aperture.  
>You were the greatest human tester to ever walk through these halls.<br>I'm sorry for all that I've put you through._

_-Glados_

He stared at the card confused and mystified by its possible meanings, but the doctor just shook his head and placed the card back in the wreath.

Dr. Strome then got up, walking away from the grave and looked at it for one more moment and turned his back on the grave.

"Rest in peace, Chell." Dr. Strome said under his breath as he walked back to his car.

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><p><strong>So how was it?<strong>

**Was Dr. Ryan Strome a good OC?  
>He's my first OC so I want to hear some feedback!<strong>

**And don't forget to review what you thought of this one-shot. Please be informative, so I could understand what to improve on!**

**If you like this one-shot, then check out my other stories! You may like what you see! =)**


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